Directories

#CampReady

Imagine, for a moment, that you are on “Jeopardy!” Host Alex Trebek rattles off the answer to the question you need to provide: “This phenomenon results in two to three months of academic learning loss in school-age children.” You punch your buzzer and light up your podium. “What is summer brain drain?” you yell, triumphant. You are right. While summertime represents that much-anticipated season of rest and riotous fun for...

There are so many good things to say about summer camp. While at this point, we hope your kids are out there making great summer memories, we thought we’d check in with a few local camps about their favorite memories. Sometimes camp directors and counselors get to witness campers overcome shyness and achieve new things. And sometimes campers – and camp directors and counselors – make special connections. Coming Out...

Summer, at last, is here. And if your kids will be spending all or part of it at camp, it’s worth your time to help them get the most they can from the experience. “Invest in whatever program you have signed your kids up for,” says Janna Hawes, director of admissions at Clairbourn School in San Gabriel. With support from parents, campers can build new skills, make new friends and...

If you’re like many parents right now, you’re busy deciding which summer camp your children will be attending and thinking about how to prepare them for a fun, healthy and safe experience away from home. With those decisions, it’s natural for parents to experience some anxiety; especially for those who have first-time campers or children with chronic health issues. The following recommendations are based on my years of experience as...

You have researched. You have visited. You have interviewed camp directors, fellow parents and friends. You have involved your children and you have found an excellent summer camp or camps for the kids to enjoy this summer. (And if you haven’t, know that crunch time is here and visit LAParent.com/camp to read up on all these things.) With less than a month to go until the schools release your children...

Christmas comes for two weeks every summer for 12-year-old Makenna Ito and her sister Lianne, 7. That’s when the girls, both born with a rare disorder called Cockayne syndrome, attend a special camp that brightens their lives. “Camp is a vacation for them. It’s their Christmas,” says their mom, Noreen, a fourth-grade teacher in Redondo Beach. Though both sisters are non-verbal, it’s clear that Makenna knows when they’re driving to camp. “She raises her hands in the car seat and is ready to jump out before I can unbuckle her,” says...

As summer-camp-search season continues, it’s time to think about what you actually want to know about the camps you are considering for your kids so that you can ask the right questions when chatting with camp directors and staff. “Over the years, I have encouraged parents to attend an open house and meet the director or owner [of the camp],” says Nancy Oken-Redfield, owner and executive director of River Way...

You’re a proactive parent. You want your kids to go to camp this summer and have a great time. And unless you’re already planning on booking them at the same amazing camp they loved last summer, that means doing a little homework. As you check out various camps, you’ll need to check all the usual boxes. You want safe camp facilities, well-trained and experienced staff, program hours and location that...

Summer camp is a place for kids to try out fun outdoorsy stuff, make arts and crafts (got lanyards?) and maybe learn a funny song or two. It’s also a place to meet other kids like them. But what if there aren’t many kids like them? At The Painted Turtle camp, kids who have had kidney transplants or are diagnosed with hemophilia, cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, juvenile arthritis, IBD, cystic...

After the kids’ holiday break from school comes the headlong rush toward summer vacation. If you’re not going on vacation, you’ll need somewhere for the kids to go while you are working, and summer camp is the traditional solution. Camp gives kids a chance to try out new activities such as cooking or canoeing, or devote days and weeks at a time to passions such as theater, baseball or computer...

Winter is coming. It won’t bring snow. It might not bring rain. It will, however, bring a lengthy school break for most kids. Campuses in the Los Angeles Unified School District are closed a whopping three weeks. Burbank, Beverly Hills, Santa Monica and Long Beach public schools are closed for two, and Pasadena schools just slightly longer. Your children will be home, and you need a plan. And if your...

All over Los Angeles this summer, high school and college students are earning money and gaining experience as camp counselors. When college student and L.A. resident Carter Theiro shows up for work each morning and joins 130 camp counselors at a South Los Angeles camp, he brings a unique perspective to the job. Theiro, 19 and a student at Los Angeles Valley College, is on the autism spectrum. This is his third year as...

I’m a LEGO purist. I love dumping the big box of hundreds of bricks that can be made into anything I imagine onto the floor. My child is the opposite. Mirae, my soon-to-be 5-year-old daughter, is dedicated to the completion of the predetermined project on the front of the LEGO box. This line between free play and instruction was one we had to consider in planning a LEGO shindig with...

Camp time is here. You want your kids to be well nourished and enjoy their lunch, but kids often get bored with the food parents pack, and parents have a challenging time coming up with new lunch ideas. Kids enjoy camp lunches that have balance, variety and include surprise treats. The treats are small, but are delicious and hit the spot. Here are five tips to help you build...

How can kids keep up with their new friends and interests once school starts? If you’ve done a good job with your camp search, your child will spend most of the summer making new friends and discovering new things they love to do. In fact, camp activities and friendships go hand-in-hand. “Kids get so connected at our camps because they’re coming up with all these inside jokes,” says Katy Chase,...

You did your homework, made your visits and found a great school for your child with special needs. But soon school will be out. What will your child do this summer? If you are considering summer camp, know that there are a lot of great programs in the L.A. area that will allow your child to have a real summer-camp experience in a safe and nurturing environment. Now is the...

When looking for summer camps for their children, parents are faced with a wealth of options. There are sports camps, arts camps, school camps and camps dedicated to many other activities and interests. Each of these offers benefits, but certain programs stand apart. According to several parents and camp directors, “traditional” day camps that have programs mirroring classic resident camp programs, present unique advantages for campers and families. Traditional day...

Seek out options that create a stronger sense of self. In choosing a summer camp, hours, location and schedules matter, but if you dig deeper, you can book a camp experience that gives your child more than just a place to hang out. While a good amount of the school year has likely been focused on achievement, fitting in, doing what everyone else is doing and being a “good” student,...

What is the number-one reason you believe kids should have the chance to go to summer camp? Rita Smith and Arpa Ghazarianm, directors, Camp Mirman: Students should have a chance to go to summer camp so that they can enrich their educational and social-emotional experience. At summer camp, students have the opportunity to expand their interest in subject areas that they might not get a chance to explore during the...

When Valentine’s Day cards appear in stores, it’s time to think about summer camp. Maybe you’re sending your child to day camp for the first time. Perhaps your tween’s transitioning from day camp to sleep-away. Whatever your plans, use this month-by-month guide to help you through the process of preparing for summer camp Los Angeles style. February – Start your research. “Most camps should have their websites updated for the...

Bravo! As a mother of three – and former drama student – I require each of my children to participate in a theater production. Do I want them to become professional actors? God, no. But theater builds character. It teaches self-confidence. It quells the emotion of embarrassment, which hinders so many of us from living in the moment. Theater teaches us to let go and not to take ourselves so...

Choosing the right summer camp experience for our children with special needs can be daunting. The potential rewards, however, are well worth the extra effort. Greater self-esteem, improved self-confidence and independence, new skills, socialization opportunities, new friendships and just plain fun are ready for your child when you are. Here are seven basic keys to help make the summer camp experience great for everyone. Prepare yourself. It is important to...

Camp directors offer their top tips for making the most of your child’s summer camp experience By Melanie Gaball An overwhelming number of Southern California kids attend some sort of summer camp, and for many families these programs represent a major investment of time and money. With specialty programs dedicated to the arts, sports, science and other topics; a wide range of day camps, and immersive sleep-away experiences available, the...